FIRST STORY! Yay! I…don't know what else to say.
Disclaimer: Do I own a multi-million (billion?) comic company? Heck no!
Wally West did not grow up in the perfect home, contrary to very popular belief. His mother did not laugh with her child and kiss all the pain away. His father did not goof around and play with his child. A typical night at the West household went something like this.
Mary West sat in her chair, staring at the empty fireplace, cigarette in hand. 5 year old Wally sat on the ground and played with his favorite toy cars and action figures, pretending to be the Flash, his all-time favorite hero, and save a family from a car crash caused by evil robots.
Rudolph West lay on the couch, empty beer bottles strewn around him, another full one in his hand. He mumbled incoherently, his speech slurred. Wally looked up from his game. He looked up at his drunken father. He saw his mother's empty eyes as smoke filled the room. He sighed and went upstairs after cleaning up his toys. Wally put himself to bed, because no one else would.
But that was in the past. Wally was now the Flash, taking his uncle's duty. He was a Justice League founder. He was famous. The Flash was a hero, protecting people from the small things and the big things. He was loved by Central City, and had an interesting love-hate relationship with his villains. Wally left behind his mother's empty eyes, his father's unforgiving words.
An unseeing woman and an old drunk weren't his parents anymore. Wally had Supes and Di for that. He didn't need to miss his uncle Barry (though he still kind of did), he had GL for that. He didn't need any slightly weird cousins. After all, what were Martians for? And Shay was like that sister he never really wanted, but still got and loved. And Bats was like that slightly creepy, very scary, over protective (though he would never admit it) older brother that Wally really never wanted, but grew to enjoy having around.
Yep, like Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry used to always say, "Friends are the family you choose."